Africa-Press – Botswana. Government, in partnership with employers and unions, must create comprehensive re-skilling initiatives that prepare workers for digital economy jobs while preserving their fundamental rights, National Assembly speaker, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse has said.
Officiating at the 4th Institute for Labour and Employment Studies (ILES) Annual Labour Conference in Gaborone Thursday, Mr Keorapetse also called for the development of concrete strategies protecting workers’ rights in the digital workplaces.
He also called for creation of frameworks for ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI) implementation in employment, policies that balanced productivity gains with human dignity, building of coalitions that advocated effectively for workers in the digital age and proposal of legislation that kept pace with change in technology.
“We must ensure that AI and automated decision-making systems in workplaces are transparent, fair and subject to human oversight. Workers have the right to know how AI affects their employment, wages and career prospects,” Mr Keorapetse said.
Held under the theme: Future Ready: Labour Rights and Productivity in the Digital Revolution, he said the conference was timely and urgent in the digital age.
Despite bringing opportunities for innovation, he cautioned that digital revolution also brought risks of exclusion, hence the need to protect workers’ rights.
Botswana’s commitment to workers’ rights, he said was anchored in robust international frameworks.
“We are proud signatories to the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) eight core conventions, including: Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining (Conventions 87 and 98), Elimination of Forced Labour (Conventions 29 and 105), Abolition of Child Labour (Conventions 138 and 182) and the Elimination of Discrimination (Conventions 100 and 111),” he said.
Mr Keorapetse further noted that the United Nations Global Compact and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reinforced the country’s obligations.
He commended the conference organisers for convening the forum, saying it was a beacon of hope for workers across the nation and the region.
He also expressed hope that the deliberations would yield insights and recommendations that would inform policy, enrich academic discourse, as well as improve the daily lives of workers and employers across the country and beyond.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
